NBA Could Be Back On Christmas

NBA owners and players reached a tentative deal on Saturday. So it looks like there will be a basketball season. It'll be 66 games long instead of the usual 82, and games will start on Christmas Day. The 10-year deal calls for a 50-50 split of basketball-related revenues between the owners and the players.   The deal still has to be officially approved by both sides.  NBA Commissioner David Stern said, "We want to play basketball. The deal is subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin December 25th." Players union executive director Billy Hunter added, "We thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution and save the game and to be able to provide the kind of superb entertainment the NBA historically has provided."

There will be three games on Christmas:  Boston at New York, Miami at Dallas and Chicago at Los Angeles.